The eagerly-awaited 1985 adventure movie The Goonies will finally be released on November 2 in a 25th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray, with a wealth of memorabilia, including a new board game, collectible storyboard prints, a 1985 souvenir magazine with behind-the-scenes stories about the actual filming in Astoria, Oregon, and a reprint of a 2009 article with updates of the entire cast, as well as producer Steven Spielberg and director Richard Donner.

Disc extras will include:Cast-and-crew commentary trackMaking-of documentaryDeleted scenesTrailersMMusic video, Cyndi Lauper, "The Goonies 'R Good Enough."A series of events were held in Oregon last weekend to honor the film, supported by several cast members and with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.

posted 03. November 201009:33
Can't decide if it's worth $30 when you already own the dvd?

This just an analysis upon a quick check when I went home to drop the movie off while on lunch..

The Blu-ray 25th anniversary edition is definitely just for huge fans of "The Goonies" especially if this film holds a special place in your heart. The first thing you get is the Blu-ray with an amazing transfer of the film. The film looks cleaner than I’ve ever seen it and everything pops on the screen. The extras appear to be mainly retreads of the dvd set which is a bit disappointing. But I'll know more later when I have more time to view them.

But the real collectors will enjoy that you get a couple of retrospective books.. one with an old Empire Magazine interview that reunites the main cast as well as the director and Spielberg. The second is a reprint of a behind the scenes book with a lot of pictures and information on the production. Next, you get some small cards with a reproduction of some of the storyboards, which are pretty cool. Lastly you get a Goonies board game, set up for 2 to 4 players. There’s nothing that a casual fan has to have, beyond the actual movie, but big time fans will get a kick out of these novelities.

posted 04. November 201012:45
I like "The Goonies"--don't get me wrong--but it's just not a movie I need to own in every format, as nice as the Blu-ray remaster looks, I'm sure. I've plunked down so much money on these "ultimate editions," "special editions," "collector's editions," "anniversary editions," etc. after I initially plunked down money on VHS copies and plain ol' DVDs. Perhaps we should start a thread "What movie do you own in the most formats?" (Extra points for anyone who has an MP4 file of something on a thumbdrive or a Sony PSP UMD disc. Or for dinosaurs like me, does anyone have any Ken Films Super 8mm digests?) :-)
Posts: 1216 | From: America's Caribbean | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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I'm a huge proponent of the Blu-ray format, but I also realize it is not for everyone. A recent study uncovered that nearly half of the 28 million households with HDTVs don't actually watch high-definition programs because they lack an HD source. Which is quite amazing when you think about it. So if you don't have an HDTV or at least 5.1 surround sound then I can't recommend upgrading to Blu-ray for most people. I also don't recommend it if picture and sound are not a priority for your movie watching experience.

And I totally understand not wasting money on a rehashed movie with claims of "Special Edition" etc, but when a film I truly love 'jumps formats' that is when my interest is peaked. VHS and Beta to Laserdisc to DVD to HD-DVD and Blu-ray. The journey has been challenging, but still a blast to enjoy.

I do agree that if I took my entire catalog and continued to repurchase it in every format it would be a total waste of coin.. so I do my best to only upgrade if the movie is one that I truly cherish or I don't currently own it in another format or if the price is a bargain I just can't refuse.

Somewhere in my house there is a tv hooked up to every format that I've mentioned and I still watch movies in all formats on occasion. I also take my old movies that I've replaced to work and give them away to co-workers for them to enjoy.

With all that said, it is obvious that I could save a ton of coin by not upgrading.. but movie watching is a passion for me and spending a little cash on it has just always been a part of my existence.

posted 05. November 201020:37
Movie watching is a passion, perhaps THE passion, for me too, as you can gather, Valley. I have a friend who is convinced that in 10 years, as good as Blu-ray is, it won't matter anymore because movies are inching toward "cloud computing," i.e. streaming or mp4 digital downloads. He makes this rather convincing argument based on the slow, but steady, death of music CD's in favor of iTunes downloads and, of course, streaming NetFlix (which is just about the most awesome thing you can have--"Black Sabbath" is available for streaming I discovered. :-))

Anyway, I am glad that all of us here still cherish collecting and watching favorites in old formats. Heck, if you come over to my place, I have the Star Wars trilogy the way it was originally shown in theatres and meant to be seen, sans re-mastering of the special effects. It's courtesy my huge-platter laserdisc box set (and no, I'm not selling it) and my trusty Pioneer laserdisc/karaoke machine which cost me about $750 circa 1992 and is still kicking.

So viva la Super 8mm, 16mm, 35mm (I have some pristine trailers in that format that I will die never being able to see because I can't afford a Xenon-Carbon-arc projector), VHS, Betavision, laserdisc, LaserVision disc, DVD, HD-DVD, Blu-ray, UMD, and whatever other format you like. <raising my glass for a toast>
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posted 06. November 201001:57
Crash.. I'm in agreement with your friend's assessment and I've also turned into a Netflix junkie since Muffy, Ronnie, & Veronica convinced me to join. For an unbelievable cost, I can watch lost 80's flicks on instant watch and still have a Blu-ray rental sent to me through the mail. Oh and I love that you no longer need to insert the disc for PS3 and Wii.

With all that said .. I still look at my Pioneer Laserdisc player as my all-time favorite piece of electronic equipment. It was quite expensive at the time and purchasing a movie for it back in the early 90's was an investment decision for sure. But I still enjoy that Laserdisc player even today.

The sad thing is that even though MP3 and streaming is the future and technology has made it quick and easy.. the overall quality that these formats is actually a step back in the wrong direction for me. Don't get me wrong.. I have an iphone, ipod, nano, and shuffle.. but if given a choice I prefer listening to a cd when available. Easy of use/cost versus quality has always been a debate.

I'm still expecting 3-D technology that you can watch without wearing glasses to be the next technogeek progression which I don't necessarily care that much about, but my hope is that eventual development will lead to interactive holographic technology within the next 10 years.

Like Tommy's face in 3-D and I get to punch it!
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posted 06. November 201009:59
Indeed, Valley, you are correct about the "march of progress" of technology. "Wired" magazine had an article on the quality of your viewing experience. Worst quality was Hulu. (I would have voted CBS network's streaming, but Hulu's a good choice. It's really crummy.) Netflix was middling over all because the company favors reliability and speed of streaming over quality. "Wired" like WalMart's Vudu service--and I do too--because it has true 1080p streaming and their own HDX format, though it's pricey. You know what finished as the best, even ahead of Blu-ray? Plain old over-the-air TV in HD with an antenna. Anyone who lives in an area with good reception and has the equipment would probably agree (no compression/decompression artifacting, etc. ). Although I don't necessarily think that it improves the long-in-tooth news anchors where I live... :-)
Posts: 1216 | From: America's Caribbean | Registered: Oct 2008 | Site Updates: 0
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quote:Movie watching is a passion, perhaps THE passion, for me too, as you can gather, Valley. I have a friend who is convinced that in 10 years, as good as Blu-ray is, it won't matter anymore because movies are inching toward "cloud computing," i.e. streaming or mp4 digital downloads. He makes this rather convincing argument based on the slow, but steady, death of music CD's in favor of iTunes downloads and, of course, streaming NetFlix (which is just about the most awesome thing you can have--"Black Sabbath" is available for streaming I discovered. :-))

But people will always want 'physical' representations of what they enjoy. A nicely packaged movie will always have more pull to the fan than a file. Human beings are natural collectors, and since sight and touch are two of our senses... you get the picture.

quote:I have the Star Wars trilogy the way it was originally shown in theatres and meant to be seen, sans re-mastering of the special effects. It's courtesy my huge-platter laserdisc box set (and no, I'm not selling it) and my trusty Pioneer laserdisc/karaoke machine

Isn't that the version Lucas released on DVD in about 2004 coupled with another 'remaster' of the 'special editions'?
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posted 07. November 201000:30
I own both original versions of Star Wars Trilogy and the SW Trilogy special edition boxset as i can enjoy both versions. Yes they did released the non-special editions on DVD which is good.
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quote:Originally posted by Veronica Sawyer: The weird thing I've noticed about watching movies instantly on Netflix, is that in most cases, the newer the movie is, the more awful the quality is. I have no idea why?

Possibly because the new movies require more compression? Maybe just because they're digital which tends to have a 'murkier' more pixelly look than old-style film.
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